The section of the citadel wall currently under renovation, including repainting, is being restored to match the appearance and character of the surrounding historic walls. — VNA/VNS Photo

HUẾ — The central city of Huế will invest VNĐ80 billion (US$3.1 million) over the next three years to restore sections of the walls surrounding the Imperial Citadel, part of the UNESCO-listed Complex of Huế Monuments.

The project, scheduled for implementation between 2026 and 2028, will also reinforce damaged stone embankments and railings around the Kim Thủy Moat.

According to the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre's project management board, the restoration project will cover about 2.4km of the wall system.

The Imperial Citadel forms the second defensive enclosure inside the Huế Citadel, on the northern bank of the Hương (Perfume) River. Beyond its military function, the walls protected the Nguyễn dynasty's royal palaces, ancestral temples and the Forbidden Purple City.

Each side of the brick wall stretches roughly 600m, stands about four metres high and one metre thick. The walls are surrounded by a moat and lake system collectively known as the Kim Thủy Moat.

Centuries of exposure to harsh weather have left many sections of the walls in poor condition, particularly along the northern and eastern sides.

In November 2025, a 14.2m section bordering Đặng Thái Thân Street, about 180m east of Hòa Bình Gate, collapsed after prolonged heavy rainfall and flooding in late October and early November.

The damaged section, with an average height of 4.3m, was restored at a cost of approximately VNĐ1.2 billion ($46,000), with work completed in early June 2026.

The city is also carrying out restoration work on several major Nguyễn dynasty heritage sites.

The nearly VNĐ200 billion ($7.7 million) restoration of Cần Chánh Palace, or the Main Audience Hall, inside the Forbidden Purple City is scheduled for completion in 2029.

The restoration of Quốc Tử Giám (the Imperial Academy), located to the left of the Imperial Citadel, is also expected to be completed in 2029. The VNĐ108 billion ($4.2 million) project includes the restoration of Di Luân Palace, or the Main Lecture Hall, the students' study halls and dormitories, and the Tam Quan (Three-Arched) Gate.

Meanwhile, the VNĐ132 billion ($5.1 million) restoration and adaptive conservation project at Văn Miếu ( Temple of Literature) in Kim Long Ward is expected to be completed in 2028. — VNS